Designer revokes copyright on Aam Aadmi Party logo and resigns

Sunil Kumar Lal, of Lucknow, who has designed the Aam Aadmi Party logo claims that he has never transferred the copyright to the party and disillusioned with the developments within the party, has resigned from his membership as well as revoked permissions for the party to use the logo in the future.

Sunil Kumar claims that he, along with other volunteers had supported the party with one ambition – to free India of corruption. He says that the dreams of volunteers are attached to the logo and he cannot bear to see it used as the backdrop of toxic politics.

It is unclear where the law stands on this and I am asking a few people for their opinion. I will update here. Regardless, this is yet another way Aam Aadmi Party volunteers are resisting a hijack of control over their party. I had mentioned earlier that even if there was a conspiracy behind AAP, it would prove difficult to implement because of volunteers.

Update: I asked Apar Gupta, a litigator with experience in areas of intellectual property and technology whether Sunil Kumar can invoke his copyright to refuse Aam Aadmi Party the use of their logo and he says “will need to be litigated. Will depend on the existence and the terms of the transfer deed.”

@Vidyut will need to be litigated. Will depend on the existence and the terms of the transfer deed.

Earlier, another AAP volunteer, Kundan Sharma, who had given the blue Wagon R that Arvind Kejriwal used to use had asked for it to be returned. Outlook reports that Kumar Vishwas had said that it could be returned to him, if he wanted it. Dissenting volunteers had on and off been demanding refunds of donations and more.